The disruption of supply chains due to road blockades in various parts of the country is causing millions in losses and a direct impact on the trucking sector, warned Héctor Manuel Romero Sánchez , president of Círculo Logístico and advisor to the National Council of Executives in Logistics and Supply Chain (ConaLog) .
“Billions of pesos are being lost. Today there are already shortages of hydrocarbons and risks in the transport of medicines and perishables. We are talking about profound damage to the basic food basket and to the functioning of last-mile delivery,” Romero explained.
The specialist explained that in areas such as Lagos de Moreno, San Juan de los Lagos, the Bajío region, and western Mexico , fuel tankers are at a standstill, which has begun to affect gasoline supplies. He added that the disruption in the transport of refrigerated products and food is also directly impacting consumers.
Romero pointed out that 80% of transport companies in Mexico are what we call “man-trucks” or small businesses , and when their units are stopped, the economic blow is immediate.
“Transportation is paralyzed. Highway concessionaires are no longer generating income, and truck drivers depend on their trucks for their livelihood. There are medium-sized companies that are already reporting losses of around 250 million pesos,” he warned.
The ConaLog advisor also added that the blockades have generated lines of up to 25 or 30 kilometers , and that the normalization of road traffic could take at least 15 days , even after the toll booths are reopened.
“It’s not that they open and everything goes back to normal; Capufe will have to release traffic little by little, and that will continue to delay cargo movements,” he pointed out.
Farmers’ blockades entered their fifth consecutive day on October 31 , affecting toll plazas and highways in several states.
Romero stressed that these disruptions not only cause delays, but also additional risks to transportation.
“Many operators are resorting to secondary roads with higher levels of insecurity. This raises logistics costs and compromises the integrity of the cargo,” he explained.
He also warned that the blockades generate a domino effect in the logistics chain: warehouses begin to become saturated due to lack of movement, perishables are lost, and distribution flows are disrupted.
“When the transport of hydrocarbons, medicines, and food is interrupted, the stability of essential sectors is jeopardized. This type of crisis can even be reflected in the behavior of the Gross Domestic Product , because land transport moves about 90% of the country’s goods ,” he pointed out.
According to information published on official channels of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) , on October 31, closures and disruptions persisted on various highways in the country, mainly on the Arco Norte , at kilometer 195 in the Calpulalpan–Sanctórum section , as well as on the Querétaro–Irapuato highway , where partial closures were maintained in both directions.
In Michoacán , protests continued in places like Ecuandureo, Panindícuaro and Zinapécuaro , while in Guanajuato a partial opening was reported on the 45D Salamanca–Celaya highway , at the height of Santiago de Cuenda, Juventino Rosas .
The SICT urged motorists to use alternate routes and check notices on official networks before starting trips, as disruptions are constantly moving.
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